Euxton Villa 2  Haslingden St Mary’s 0

The contrasting start to the respective league campaigns of the two teams could hardly be more marked. Newly promoted Haslingden having adopted a professional approach came with a 100% record, whilst Villa could only boast one point from their first faltering forays of the season. Manager Mark McDonnell resisted the temptation to make sweeping changes, trusting instead that the lads would have sufficient determination to reverse the dismal form shown so far. The one change was the promotion of keeper Shaun Gibbs from the reserves; the lad has been knocking at the door for some time and has been patiently waiting his chance to show that he can make the step up.

Villa began brightly and Alf Gutteridge had the ball in the net inside the first two minutes, but it was ruled out for a foul, to little protest from the protagonists it has to be said. The home side continued to hold the upper hand in a first half hour that saw David Heald head just over after Ryan Lilley and Gutteridge combined to set him up, and Damien Stewart fired fiercely over after an initial shot from Stuart Bingham was blocked on the way to goal. Villa again had the ball in the net, but only by the illegal use of a hand. Mr Heald finding his way into the book for his trouble. Was it going in anyway if left? The video evidence is inconclusive.

Right on the half hour mark, the outcome of game was effectively decided. The St Mary’s centre forward picked up the ball on the edge of the box, held off a strong challenge and turned and fired a well placed shot towards the top corner. Somehow Shaun Gibbs got a finger to it to turn it over. The resultant corner was whipped in under the bar, but again Gibbs was equal to it, palming over for another corner. Again the ball was whipped in, this time producing a snap shot which Gibbs pounced on and smothered. Immediately he sent the ball down the other end, where Gutteridge and Lilley combined again in a move which saw the latter head the opener before the visitors could get their big defenders back in place.

Euxton continued to press, and five minutes before the interval, won a free kick thirty yards out. Darren Davis floated the ball into the box, the usual jostling ensued, and the ref blew up and pointed to the spot for jersey pulling, though it has to be said that the Villa lads looked as surprised as did the defenders involved.  Sam Bolton despatched the kick with his usual efficiency.

After the interval, the visitors step up a gear, and it was they who held territorial advantage throughout most of the second half. There was a determination and a steel about the Villa defence however, that saw them play individually and collectively as well as they have ever done, with Lee chambers probably just edging the other three in ‘man-of –the –match’ terms.  Debutant keeper Gibbs also had a faultless display and was instrumental in securing the points with that triple save on the half hour.

Villa Lione-Up: Gibbs, Pennington, Davies, L.Chambers, Bolton, Heald (Bretherton 74), Loughlin, Bingham, Stewart (Crombie 86), Gutteridge(Briggs 83), Lilley

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